Idaho, Montana may get limited power over wolves

[Ithaca 37]

Well we can't get them delisted until WY blows a lot of the taxpayer's money and loses their halfassed lawsuit, but at least we get a little control.

" As Wyoming advances plans to sue the federal government for rejecting its wolf management plan, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is preparing to give the two states with approved wolf plans limited control over wolves within their borders.
Montana and Idaho officials would get that control under a rule that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to propose before the end of the week......To take the wolves off the endangered species list and allow the states to manage them, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming all must have agency-approved plans. On Jan. 14, the Fish and Wildlife Service approved Montana and Idaho's plans, but rejected Wyoming's plan. Since then, the Wyoming Legislature has failed to pass any bill related to wolf management or the state's management plans...."

http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/03/02/news/e52f419802dd4e2887256e4a006d6d8b.txt

More evidence that the only thing holding up delisting is those idiot welfare ranchers in Wyoming!

 

[Ithaca 37]

More news on this issue today.

"The wolf remains under federal protection, as is appropriate. This agreement moves the wolf closer to removal from the endangered species list and closer to state management; in the interim, Idaho has every incentive to work with the feds and maintain a sustainable wolf population.

In other words, Idaho has every incentive to ignore the anti-wolf fanatics who insist on revisiting the fight over wolf reintroduction. The state needs to abandon the rhetoric of the 2001 Legislature, which urged Congress to remove wolves “by whatever means necessary.”......... "

http://www.idahostatesman.com/Opinion/story.asp?ID=62348

 

[Ten Bears]

If Idaho got "limited" contol,that would be "limited" good news.....

 

[Bullhound]

I was wondering if something like this was getting ready to come out. I was at a F&G meeting yesterday morning and had some F&G Bio's and CO's indicate that they will be given new information and a direction in the next week to ten days. It was very vague but talking about it actually put a smile on a face or two. Maybe these guys had some incling that the state may be able to begin taking some steps to control the mutts.

Yeah, the gag order was still in full force. The only way these guys would talk was if you got them away so nobody else could here what was being said.

 

[BuckTrack]

Wyoming is not backing down, no exceptions no wolfs, also like the Idaho anti-wolf coalition, who is raising money to sue the feds over this. I hope they both win big.

 

[BuzzH]

bucktrack,

Wyoming will lose, the anti-wolf coalition cant raise enough to fight the feds, neither will win.

The wolves are here to stay, the only option now is to delist and control them.

 

[Ithaca 37]

I think I'll stop by the Idaho anti-wolf coalition booth at the Sportsman's Show in Boise this weekend and see how the looney tunes are doing. They're usually good for a few laughs. Lots of rednecks stop and bitch about wolves, but they sure don't contribute much money! What ever happened to their grandiose plan to raise $200,000 for the lawsuit? Even the Idaho Outfitters Assoc. wouldn't kick in!

 

[JoseCuervo]

Gosh, I wonder who is correct... The biologists or the big bellied rednecks that have never seen a wolf?????

Much of the debate turns on disputes over the number of wolves and their hunting habits. Federal and state officials estimate there are less than 300 wolves in Idaho. The Idaho Anti-Wolf Coalition maintains there are between 800 and 1,000 wolves. Similarly, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service argues that each wolf eats the equivalent of one elk per month, while the Anti-Wolf Coalition claims they eat closer to two elk per month and kill the equivalent of four additional elk.

 

[1_pointer]

EG- What wager a guess to which side has some data to support their statements?